And Le Tissier feels his versatility means he will fit in brilliantly at Liverpool under manager Brendan Rodgers.

The Southampton legend told Drivetime: “I’m disappointed as a Saints fan but it’s a fantastic move for him. It’s been a fairytale for him and to get a chance to go to his hometown club and be at a club in the Champions League is an absolute dream come true for him. As a friend of his I’m chuffed to bits for him.

“A lot of people down the years have described him as a target man but he’s a lot more than that. He’s a very good footballer. He’s got a cracking touch and a pass as good as anybody, so I don’t see him having a problem fitting in at Liverpool.

“I can see why Brendan Rodgers has been looking so closely at the Southampton players. He feels they can come to Liverpool and slot into a number of different positions.”

But despite the imminent loss of Lambert, with Adam Lallana and Luke Shaw likely to be following him out of the door, Le Tissier isn’t too worried about Southampton’s ability to compete in the Premier League.

“I don’t see what the panic is about,” he added.

“I’ve been associated with the club for nigh on 30 years now and we’ve always lost players down the years. We’ve always lost fantastic talent, going way back to selling Alan Shearer for a British record at the time.

“Look at Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Gareth Bale. All those guys have gone in the last few years and yet we’ve still managed to bounce back and finish eighth in the Premier League.

“If we lose some more we’ll get on with it, produce some more of our own and we’ll have a right few quid to go out and spend to strengthen the squad. “